


Whisper

by taztaas (manala)



Series: Skyrim AU [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Skyrim AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 07:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13677168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manala/pseuds/taztaas
Summary: The Raven Queen’s Royal Stables are a sight to behold. Kravitz gives Taako a tour.





	Whisper

It was known through all the Holds and beyond, that the Raven Queen was fond of horses, and an accomplished horsewoman. As the leader of Skyrim’s people, she was often receiving gifts from foreign diplomats and the like, and as it were, she was often gifted horses. Exotic breeds, very much unlike the short-legged and stout horses native to the country.

Skyrim’s horses, while hardy and strong, lack speed and finesse. Some might even dare to carefully whisper, that they are simply not dramatic enough for the Queen’s tastes.

So the Royal Stables were filled with different kinds of sensitive, long-legged and lightning-fast horses, ready to be saddled at the Queen’s convenience. Several servants were assigned to the stables to ensure the utmost care of the Queen’s precious animals.

In short, the Raven Queen’s stables were a sight to behold.

And Kravitz wants to impress Taako, even more now that he knows the elf is one of the Red Robes, a master thief and magician.

So when Taako briefly expressed an interest in horses, Kravitz immediately offered to give him a tour of the Queen’s stables, even though they both knew that Taako could just break in whenever, despite the overwhelming amount of security and guards assigned to the place.

“Holy shit,” Taako breathed, as he stepped in, Kravitz trailing behind him. One of the stable-workers, Avi, gave Kravitz a meaningful if amused look as they entered. Kravitz just grinned and shrugged helplessly in return, lifting a finger to his mouth in request of keeping it all down low. Avi just shook his head good-humouredly and disappeared deeper into the building, leaving Kravitz and Taako alone with the horses.

Taako was quick to spot the most eye-catching of the Queen’s animals, a skeletal horse with glowing white eyes, mane and tail burning with purple flames. The nameplate on his stall identified him as Arvak.

“Okay yeah, this one deffo fits Queenie’s dark aesthetic.”

“Uh, please don’t call her that, Taako,” Kravitz said nervously, wringing his hands as if the Queen herself might be listening. Taako just snorted in response and kept walking along the numerous stalls, commenting on the horses and their keep with surprising expertise.

Kravitz, content to stay on the background, finally stepped up next to Taako as the elf was beckoning a huge gray mare to come closer. He was talking to the horse in a soft tone of voice that caught Kravitz off-guard, unused to witnessing such gentleness in his exuberant lover.

“So uh, you like horses?” Kravitz asked intelligently and cursed himself in his mind right after. To his relief, Taako didn’t laugh out loud, though it was more out of consideration for the horse that had stepped up to sniff at him, than for Kravitz’s benefit.

“Hmm, yeah,” Taako said, rubbing the mare’s neck. Just the head of the horse was huge, Kravitz couldn’t ever imagine riding a horse that size, but Taako was very much un-intimidated by the large animal, cooing to it and petting it along its neck.

“I prefer unicorns, actually, but those are kind of rare so…” Taako smiled at the horse and briefly whispered something to it before stepping away and turning to look at Kravitz.

“Horses are the next best thing.”

Kravitz laughed until he realized that Taako wasn’t. He looked at Taako with wide eyes.

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah?”

Taako grinned and started walking again, trailing his hand among the wood of the stalls as he went. Kravitz, to his shame, scrambled to catch up, caught off-guard by Taako’s words.

“I bonded with one when I was younger, I wonder how he’s doing,” Taako said, as he wandered forward, more to himself than anything.

“Where the hell have you been that has unicorns?” Kravitz huffed out, and Taako turned his head just enough to flash a grin at him.

“Around.”

“Outside of Skyrim, obviously,” Kravitz said, seizing the chance to pry some information out of his secretive companion.

“Obviously.” Taako asserted, and said nothing more, opting instead to make a beeline for the fanciest stall in the stable.

Standing in the pen was a slender mare. Her coat was a purple-tinted black and her eyes were glowing red.

“That’s Shadowmere, the Queen’s favorite,” Kravitz said, happy to actually be of use in their excursion. Taako whistled lowly, “I can see why.”

Taako slowly approached the animal, keeping to the side so that he wouldn’t be in the horse’s blind spot. He reached a hand towards the animal, and Kravitz almost stopped him. He’d heard enough tales of unfortunate stable-hands losing fingers to Shadowmere. Some had claimed that the horse had actual fangs and a desire for blood.

Shadowmere’s nostrils flared, and she stomped her hooves nervously as Taako got closer. Kravitz was just about to pull the elf back when Taako started speaking, in that same low tone from before.

Kravitz didn’t understand the language, it wasn’t elvish or anything he was familiar with. He was mesmerized by the way the words flowed out of Taako’s mouth, like some song that had been woven into his memory, so deep that he could just breathe it out. Even Shadowmere, the beast, seemed to calm and be intrigued by the elf’s words. She approached him cautiously but curious, her ears pricked towards Taako.

“She doesn’t allow anyone else but the Queen on her back,” Kravitz provided, though he loathed to disrupt the moment. Taako hummed in response and ran his fingers through the horse’s mane.

The next day, there was talk. The night guards had seen Shadowmere galloping in the plains near the Western Watchtower at midnight, while the Queen was provably sleeping in her chambers. They hadn’t recognized the rider, but they must’ve been skilled for Shadowmere hadn’t been wearing neither reins nor a saddle.

Luckily, come morning, Shadowmere had been returned in sound condition, her mane and tail decorated with complicated braids. The weaving was recognized as elvish, but no one could tell who had taken her and when, and even the horse's return had gone unwitnessed.

Avi raised an eyebrow at him, as their eyes met in the castle’s mess hall that day, but Kravitz feigned ignorance. In private, he smiled as he remembered the previous night, how Taako had appeared in Kravitz’s quarters, his hair windswept, face flushed and eyes bright with adrenaline. The elf had basically tackled Kravitz onto his own bed, kissing him all over his face while telling raunchy jokes and making suggestive promises about “riding”.

Kravitz had laughed, endeared by the other’s energy and kissed him back.

Even if the Queen herself had stepped up to question him, Kravitz would have assured her that he knew nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> [and the warmth will never die](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13532229/chapters/31044105) by Junkyard_Rose has convinced me that Taako loves horses and is really good with them and I will never let go of this idea again.
> 
>  
> 
> Also I have no idea about the correct English terminology when it comes to horses, so if you want to correct me, please do.


End file.
